Pelham Edgar
by George J. Dance Oscar Pelham Edgar FRSC (1871-1948) was a Canadian poet, literary critic, and academic. Life Pelham Edgar was born in Toronto, the son of Matilda (Ridout) and James David Edgar. He was educated at Upper Canada College, the University of Toronto (B.A., 1892), and Johns Hopkins University (Ph.D., 1897). From 1892 to 1895 he taught modern languages at Upper Canada College. He joined the department of French at Victoria College, University of Toronto as a lecturer in 1897, serving as department head from 1901 until 1910. In 1902 he also began to lecture in the department of English, where he served as department head for 28 years until his retirement in 1938.Biographical Sketch, Pelham Edgar, Fonds #09, E.J. Pratt Library, Emmanuel College, Victoria University. Web, Nov. 8, 2013. In 1893 he married Madeline (Boulton), who died in 1933. In 1935 he married Dona Gertrude Cameron (Waller), who bore him a child, Katherine Jane.Pelham Edgar, The Pelham Edgar Visiting Lecturer in the Humanities, Victoria College, University of Toronto. Web, Nov. 8, 2013. He served as President of the Modern Language Association of Ontario and the Tennyson Society of Toronto; Secretary of the Canadian Society of Authors and the Ontario Education Society. He was also a member of the Athenaeum Club of London. In 1931 Pelham founded the Canadian Authors Foundation (which became the Canadian Writers' Foundation, Inc. in 1931), as a fund "for the benefit of any men or women of distinction in Canadian letters (or their dependents)…in destitution."C.H. Little, Pelham Edgar: A tribute, Interest Stories, Canadian Writers Foundation. Web, Nov. 8, 2013. Writing In addition to many articles and reviews, Edgar published 3 books: A Study of Shelley: with special reference to his nature poetry (1899), Henry James: Man and author (1927), and The Art of the Novel: From 1700 to the present time (1933). He also edited 5 books. As well, he wrote the chapter on Canada in The Cambridge History of English Literature (1916), and served as Canadian advisor for the Dictionary of National Biography (1911). Recognition The Royal Society of Canada elected Edgar a Fellow in 1915, and awarded him its Lorne Pierce Medal in 1936. The Pelham Edgar Distinguished Visitor Endowment was established in 2004 at Victoria College to fund visiting scholars and scholarly activities, particularly in the humanities. Publications Poetry *''Poems. Toronto: 1890. Non-fiction *A Study of Shelley: With special reference to his nature poetry. Toronto: William Briggs, 1899. *''Matthew Arnold as Poet. Ottawa: Royal Society of Canada, 1914. *''Henry James, and his method''. Montreal: Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Section II, series III, December, 1918, and March, 1919, vol. XII *''Henry James: Man and author. London: Grant Richards, 1925. ** reproduction. New York: Russell & Russell, 1964. *The Art of the Novel: From 1700 to the present time. New York: Macmillan, 1933. *''Across My Path (edited by Northrop Frye). Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1952. Edited *''Coleridge and Wordsworth: Select poems. Toronto: Morang, 1902. *Francis Parkman, ''The Romance of Canadian History. Toronto: Morang, 1902. **published in U.S. as The Struggle for a Continent. Boston: Little, Brown, 1902. *Tennyson, Select Poems. Toronto: Morang, 1906. *''The Poetry of Victor Hugo'' (edited with John Squair). Boston: Ginn, 1911. *''Selected Poems of Coleridge and Tennyson. Toronto: Macmillan, 1918. ''Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Pelham Edgar, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Nov. 8, 2013. See also *List of Canadian poets *List of literary critics *Timeline of Canadian poetry References } External links ;Prose *"English-Canadian Literature" in the Cambridge History of English and American Literature ;Books *Pelham Edgar at the Online Books Page *Pelham Edgar at Amazon.com ;About *Pelham Edgar at Victoria University *Pelham Edgar: A tribute at the Canadian Writers' Foundation Category:1871 births Category:1948 deaths Category:Canadian academics Category:Canadian literary critics Category:People from Toronto Category:19th-century poets Category:Canadian poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets